Adjustable desk



June 3, 1941. E. WILLIMANIIET AL 2,244,036

ADJUSTABLE DESK .Fil'ed Nov. 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS EdwinM/fl/flpan I Jean/l. VV////man June 3, 1941. E. WILLIMAN ETAL ADJUSTABLEDESK Filed Nov 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Edwin MOW/man JeanVV/7/l'man ATTORNEY Patented June 3, 1941 ADJUSTABLE DESK Edwin Willimanand Jean A. Williman, Pescadero, Calif.

Application November 9, 1937, Serial No. 173,618

7 Claims.

This invention relates to desks, particularly to those such as are usedin drawing and art classes and in schools generally.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a desk having anadjustable top arranged so that it can be moved from a level horizontalposition to a directly vertical one, and held in such positions or atany intermediate angles.

Another object is to so mount the adjustable top that as it is tilted upit will also move forwardan operation which can also be done when thetop is horizontal. In this manner an increase in knee room under thedesk is provided for the person using the same. Knee room being asstated provided under the desk top it is not necessary to provide kneeroom space in the body of the desk and the latter may be used as cabinetor storage space, thus materially increasing such space over what isprovided in the conventional desk.

While we have particularly designed this desk for the above surface itis also useful as an allpurpose desk in schools as well as forprofessional people such as architects engineers, artists, etc.,providing in each case ample storage space for the equipment necessaryto the particular profession.

These objects we accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Figure l is a perspective View of one embodiment of our improved deskshowing the desk top in its normal horizontal position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side view of the same in section and with thedesk top set at an angle.

Figure 3 is a side view of the desk showing the top set vertically, asfor use as an easel, etc.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Figure 6 is a side view of the desk showing a modified form of topholding means.

Referring to the numbers and particularly at present to Figures 1 to 5,the dask comprises a rectangular body I forming a cabinet, said cabinetpreferably having shelves 2 or drawers and r a front downwardly openingdoor 3. The cabinet is supported on depending legs 4 having verticallyadjustable foot extensions 5 so that the height of the desk may bevaried to suit the user.

The desk top 6 is a flat rectangular rigid member symmetrical to butsomewhat larger than the top of the desk body. The top 6 is swivellymounted along the front of the desk by means of vertical straps 1secured on the front of the desk adjacent its sides and carryingcircular cross heads 8 on their upper ends. These are in line with eachother and extend parallel to the front edge of the desk or lengthwisethereof. These cross heads slidably ride in T slots 9 cut in the top 6fromits under sides and extending from adjacent the front edge of thetop toward the back of the same. The top is therefore capable of slidingmovement transversely of the desk, or in a direction from back to front,and can also swivel or tilt about the cross heads as an axis or hinge;

Various means may of course be provided to hold the top in any tilted orangled position. In the present instance we have shown this means ascomprising telescopic adjustable brace units, one on each side of thedesk. Each unit consists of a rod it and a sleeve [9a in which the rodslides. The unit is pivoted at its upper end on ears ll depending fromthe top 6 adjacent its back and side edges, and it is also pivoted atits lower end on a bolt l2. This bolt is slidably guided in a run-Way l3mounted on the side of the desk body and extending diagonally up fromthe back to the front of the desk. A finger nut M on the outer end ofthe bolt l2 enables the adjacent end of the brace unit to be clampedagainst the run-way. A finger screw i5 mounted on the sleeve clampingiyengages the rod and enables the telescoping unit to be held at anyoperating length desired.

By this arrangement it will be obvious that the desk top may be set andheld in any desired position between horizontal and vertical. When Setvertically the top is additionally held in position, to take some of thestress oil the brace units, by spring brackets it. Those are swivellymounted on the front of the desk adjacent the sides thereof in positionto engage the bottom edge and adjacent outer surface of the top as shownin Fig. 3. The brackets being swivelly mounted, they may be swung downto clear the top before the latter assumes a vertical position and alsowhen it is desired to return said top to its normal position. Inaddition to prevent the bolts l2 possibly sliding down their runway whenconsiderable pressure is placed against the tilted table top above thecross heads 8, we may pro- Vide a row of holes ll on each side of thedesk between the front and back end near the top, to selectively receivestop plugs 28 in position to overlap and engage the corresponding braceunit on one side.

The slots 9 are positioned so that when the desk top is in itshorizontal position and the cross heads 8 are at the back end of theslots, the top then projects substantially equal distances beyond thedesk both at the front and back as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.When the top is tilted up the weight of the same causes it to slideforward of itself until the cross heads engage the back ends of theslots. The knee room under the top is thus automatically enlarged andsaid top is also lowered somewhat so that it is in the most. convenientposition for use at an angle. The cross heads also give stability to thetop and determine the furthest point of forward movement thereof.

The top can also be shifted forward without tilting by merely looseningthe clamping nuts [4 and the finger screws E5, to allow the brace unitsto swivel and contract without elevating the top at the back as it movesforward. The use of diagonal runways avoids the need of brace units ofexcessive length while enabling said units to connect with the top closeto the back, where the most efficient supporting action is obtained.

The above construction allows an unlimited number of angle settings ofthe adjustable top to be obtained. A cheaper form of construction andone having a definitely limited number of top settings may however beemployed. Such construction is shown in Fig. 6 and in this case thebrace units comprise rigid rods it freely hanging from the adjustabletop Ea at the back and to the side of the desk la. These rods when thetop is tilted are adapted to project through any one of a number ofguide sleeves 26 mounted in certain selected and fixed positions betweenthe front and back of the desk on the sides thereof, and to then rest onstops 2! disposed under the sleeves at increasingly greater heights fromthe back to the front of the desk. These sleeves and stops may be insidethe desk if desired so that the top supporting means will be normallyinvisible.

With either form of construction we may provide a shelf 22 (see Fig. 2)extending along the back of the desk from side to side. This shelf issupported on vertically adjustable posts 23 and is normally countersunkin the upper surface of the desk so as not to interfere with thedisposing of the desk top in a level horizontal position. The top thencovers the shelf which is not then needed since the top itself providesa flat supporting surface for any accessories used in connection withthe work being done. When the top is tilted and shifted forwardly theshelf is exposed and it may be raised to bring it to the level of theback of the tilted top. A flat support for ink bottles, pencils and thelike is thus provided for use when the desk top on account of its tiltcannot be used for this purpose.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that we haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A desk comprising a body, a top therefor, means mounting the top onthe body for upward tilting movement to the front as well as a forwardmovement from a normal substantially horizontal position and means tohold the top in any tilted position; said first named means comprisingspaced horizontal cross heads of circular cross section alined with eachother and disposed parallel to and above the front and upper edge of thedesk body, and relatively narrow elements rigid with and depending fromthe cross heads and mounting the same on the desk; the desk top beingrelatively thick, and flat on the under side, said under side having Tslots cut upward therein and extending in a direction from front to backthereof and in which the cross heads ride.

2. A desk comprising a body, a top therefor, means mounting the top onthe body for upward tilting movement to the front and means to hold thetop in any tilted position; said last named means comprising atelescopic adjustable brace unit for each side of the desk top, a pivotconnection between the upper end of the unit and said top adjacent theback thereof, a runway on the side of the desk forming a T slot andextending with an upward slope from the back toward the front of thedesk, a bolt slidably mounted in the runway and projecting therefrom andengaging the lower end of the unit, and a clamping nut on the outer endof the bolt.

3. A desk as in claim 1, in which the cross heads are disposed in frontof the desk body a sufiicient distance to'enable the top to be swung toa full vertical position while then maintaining said top close to thefront of the body.

a. In a desk including the combination of a body, a top therefor, meansmounting the top on the body for forward sliding movement, as well asfor upward tilting movement to the front and to a vertical position froma normally substantially horizontal position, and means to hold the topin any tilted position; said first named means comprising spacedelements projecting upwardly and outwardly from the front and upper edgeof the desk body, aligned horizontal. cross-heads on the outer ends ofsaid elements and parallel to said edge of the desk body, the undersideof the desk top having T-slots cut upward therein and extending in adirection from front to back thereof and in which the cross-heads ride.

5. A desk including a body, a top therefor, means mounting the top onthe body for upward tilting movement to the front, brace members pivotedin laterally spaced relation on the top adjacent the rear thereof, saidmembers depending alongside the sides of the body, pivot connectionsbetween the lower ends of said brace members and the sides of the body,and means mounting said pivot connections for sliding movement forwardlyand upwardly upon upward tilting movement of the top.

6. A device as in claim 5, in which said pivoted connections are mountedon the sides of the body some distance below the upper ends thereof; andstop elements mounted on the sides of the body and adjustable betweenthe front and back thereof, and arranged to engage said brace members onthe back side thereof above the pivot connections.

'7. A device as in claim 5, in which said pivoted connections aremounted on the sides of the body some distance below the upper endsthereof; and stop elements mounted on the sides of the body andadjustable between the front and back thereof, and arranged to engagesaid brace members on the back side thereof above the pivot connections,said stop elements comprising plugs, the sides of the body having a rowof openings into which said plugs are selectively engaged.

EDWIN WlLLIMAN. JEAN A. WILLIMAN.

